Cam Akers directs message at Rams following Vikings trade

Following the trade, Akers took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to voice his appreciation for the franchise that selected him in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft.  

Akers, 24, entered the season as the lead-back in Los Angeles, handling 22 carries in the Rams season-opening win against the Seattle Seahawks. Following the ineffective 29-yard rushing outing, the Rams made Akers a healthy scratch in Week 2, handing the reins to Kyren Williams in the backfield. 

Head coach Sean McVay called the decision to sit Akers a "coach's decision" made in the "best interest" of the team. Akers took to social media after news broke of his benching to state he was “just as confused as everybody else" over the move. 

Now in Minnesota, Akers reunites with Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell, who served as the Rams offensive coordinator from 2020-2021. 

Through two weeks, the Vikings have rushed for an NFL-worst 69 yards. Starter Alexander Mattison has averaged 3.3 YPC on 19 rushing attempts and has failed to find the endzone on the ground. Ty Chandler, who has rushed for zero yards on four carries, is the only other Vikings running back to receive a carry this season. 

Akers should quickly assert himself in the team's backfield rotation, likely working in a timeshare with Mattison. His arrival in Minnesota won't make Vikings fans outright forget about Dalvin Cook but should help replace some of the production Cook left behind after being released this past offseason. 

Coming off a career-high 786 rushing yards in 2022, Akers was one of the league's most effective backs over the latter end of last season. From Week 16 through Week 18, Akers ranked second in the NFL with 410 rushing yards. His six 20-plus yard scampers over that span were second only to Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III.